Circuit controller



Aug. 7, 1934. H w 1,969,488

C IRCUIT CONTROLLER Filed Sept. 23, 1930 FIG. 2 FIG. 3 4

FIG. 5

FIG. )4

35 I Will:

49 FIG. /6

INVENTOR H. N. WAG/1R Arromvsr NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CIRCUITCONTROLLER Harold N. Wagar, New York, N. Y., assignor to Bell TelephoneLaboratories, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New YorkAppiication September 23, 1930, Serial No. 483,794

3 Claims. (Cl. 200166) This invention relates to spring tensioningdeture the preferred form of camming element vices and more particularlyto the means emshown in Fig. 1; ployed in pretensiom'ng the resilientcontact Fig. 6 is an end View of the relay shown in springs ofelectro-magnetic circuit controllers. Fig.

5 In various types of circuit controllers, metallic Fig. '7 is a sectiontaken along the line '7-'7 60 contact springs are employed as thecircuit conin Fig. .5 looking in the direction of the arrows; trollingelements. In the telephone art, for ex- Fig. 8 is an enlargedfragmentary View showample, electromagnetic relays are used extening thecooperation of the camming element sively, which comprise a plurality ofsuper-posed shown in Fig. 1 and an associated contact;

metal contact springs arranged in parallelism Fig. 9 is a side view ofthe front end of a re- 65 and actuated by the relay armature in responselay embodying the adjusting means shown in to the energization of therelay winding. The Fig. 2; v emcient functioning of these springsdepends to Fig. 10 is a section taken along the line 10-40 aconsiderable degree upon their resilient propof Fig. 9 looking in thedirection of the arrows;

erties, and it is essential that the tension of each Fig. 11 correspondsto Fig. 8 and shows the 70 spring should be such as to permit it toyield to relation between the adjusting means shown in exert a definitecontact pressure upon the appli- Fig. 2 and an associated contactspring;

cation of a predetermined pressure by the con- Fig. 12 is a side View ofthe front end-oi a trolling relay armature. relay employing theadjusting means shown in It has been the practice in the past to pre-Fig. 3; 75 tension or set the contact spring prior to its as- Fig. 13 isa section taken along the line 13--l3 sembly on the relay structure. Insuch cases of Fig. 12; the contact spring has been bent from normal toFig. 14 corresponds to Figs. 8 and 11 and shows a greater or lesserdegree, or the spring has been the relation between the adjusting meansshown provided with a series of graduated indentations in Fig. 3 and anassociated contact spring; so or depressions along its surface andextending Fig. 15 is a side view of the front end of a transverselythereof. These and other similar relay employing the adjusting meansshown in methods of tensioning the contact spring have Fig. 4;satisfactorily served their purposes in the past, Fig. 16 is a sectiontaken along the line 16-16 but the ever increasing demand for relaysprings of Fig. 15 and looking in the direction of the 85 of numerousdifferent spring combinations necesarrow; sitated the development of amore universal type Fig. 17 corresponds to Figs. 8, 11 and 14 and is or"adjusting means and one which would conan enlarged fragmentary viewshowing the coveniently and economically permit adjustments operationbetween the adjusting means shown in to be made in the field withoutundue disturbance Fig. 4 and an associated contact spring. 90 toassociated equipment. The preferred form of the invention shown in It isthe object of this invention to improve Fig. 1 comprises a boredcylindrical hexagonal the means employed in adjusting circuitconinsulating bushing or stud 10 provided with a trollers of the springcontact type. camming ridge or spiral thread 11.

This object is attained in accordance with a As shown in Figs. 5, 6 and8 the bushing 10 on, feature of the invention by the provision of inor aplurality thereof, are adjustably mounted dividu'ally adjustable cammingelements which in the case of operating studs, on a bolt 12 secured aremounted in juxtaposition to the contact to the operating end of therelay armature 13. springs and cooperate with the spring tangs in Eachoperating contact spring such as 14 is pro-,

efiecting a simple, economical means for sepavided with a laterallyextending tang 15 which 10o rately and positively pretensioning thecontact rests on the surface of the stud thread 11. springs of a relayspring pi1e-up. The bolt 12 is located on the armature 13 in Theinvention will be readily understood from such a position as to bringthe insulating stud the following detailed description made with reiorcamming element 10 in operative association erence to the accompanyingdrawing in which: with the tang 15 on its associated contact spring. 105

Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 show four specific forms of In adjusting the springtension, the bolt 12 camming elements which may be employed in isloosened slightly to permit the stud 10 to be the structure of anelectromagnetic device in atrotated freely. The turning of the stud 10on taining the object of the invention; the bolt 12 causes the surfaceof the camming Fig. 5 shows a relay embodying in its structhread 11 toact upon the tang 15 in such a 11 manner that the spring associated withthe tang 15 is raised or lowered from its normal position depending uponthe direction in which the stud is turned. After proper adjustment ofthe spring is attained the bolt 12 is screwed up and holds the studs intheir adjusted position.

Figs. 9 and 11 show the application of the eccentric disc 20, shown inFig. 2 to a relay structure. In this embodiment of the invention thedisc 20 is interposed between a plurality of insulating bushings 21 andmounted on the bolt 22 which is secured to the armature 25 in a mannersimilar to that described in connection with bolt 12 of Fig. 6. Thecontact springs 23 in this case are provided with inclined tangs 24, theunderside of which engage and rest upon the edge of the disc 20 as shownin Fig. 11. The plane of the disc 20 is parallel to that of itsassociated spring 23.

In adjusting the contact spring in this case, the bolt 22 is loosenedslightly to permit the disc 20 to be turned freely. Upon rotation of thedisc 20 on the bolt 22 the effective radius of the disc is varied inlength so that the point on the surface of the inclined tang 24 at whichthe disc 20 makes contact varies accordingly, with the result that thespring 23 is raised or lowered depending on whether the effective radiusof the disc increases or decreases when the disc is turned.

A further embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 12 and 14 comprisesa circular insulating disc 30 mounted eccentrically on the bolt 31 asshown in Fig. 3.

In this instance the armature 32 is provided with two oppositelydisposed vertical extensions, such as 33, which are tapped at regularintervals for the reception of the bolt 31. The outer periphery of thecircular disc 30 makes engagement with the contact spring tang 34 asshown in Fig. 14.

In adjusting the contact springs by this means, the bolt 31 is turned orrotated in the armature extension 33 and carries with it the insulatingdisc 30. As the disc 30 is rotated, the distance between the spring tang34 and the axis of the bolt 31 is varied due to the eccentric mountingof the disc on the bolt. The spring 35 with which the tang 34 isintegrally formed is moved accordingly, upward or downward, dependingupon the direction in which the disc 30 is rotated.

A still further embodiment of the invention is disclosed in Figs. 15 and17. In this instance, the armature 42 is provided with oppositelydisposed vertical projections 44 which are tapped to receive threadedbolts, such as 40. The bolt 40 is provided with an offset pin-likeprojection 41 having an insulating sleeve 42 snugly fitted thereon. Thespring tang 45 of spring 46 rests upon and is supported by the insulatedpin projection 41 of the bolt 40.

As in the case of the eccentric disc 30 shown in Fig. 3, any rotation ofthe bolt 40 is accompanied by a corresponding linear movement of thespring 46, either upward or downward, depending upon the direction inwhich the bolt is turned. The spring 46 is tensioned accordingly.

In the descriptions already given, the camming elements 10, 20, 30 and40 have been referred to in connection with the adjustment of thecontact spring pressure. Figures '7, 10, 13 and 16 show the applicationof the same camming elements to a relay structure for the purpose ofacting as spring stops. When employed in this capacity the mountingbolts 12 and 22 of Figs. '7 and 10 respectively, are secured to therelay yokes 19 and 29 in the same manner as hereinbefore described inconnection with the association of similar mounting bolts with armatures13 and 25. In Figs. 13 and 16 the yokes 39 and 49 are provided withright angle depending portions 38 and 48 respectively, which correspondto the armature extensions 33 and 44 of Figs. 12 and 15 respectively,and serve the same purpose. The contact springs are provided with tangswhich 00- operate with the camming elements 10, 20, 30 and 40 whenutilized as spring stops as shown in Figs. 7, 10, 13 and 16.

Though these elements, under ordinary circumstances serve as springstops, it is apparent that they may be employed in conjunction withcorresponding elements mounted on the relay armatures in effecting thetensioning of the contact springs.

From the description of applicants invention already given it is evidentthat he has devised a simple, economical means for separately adjustingthe tension of individual springs in a spring pile-up, and which enablesthe spring tension to be regulated in the field without removing therelay from service and without disturbance to associated equipment.

What is claimed is:

1. In a circuit controller, a plurality of circuit controlling springcontact members, a laterally extending tang associated with each of saidcontact members and means including a linearly stationary rotatablebushing having a spiral ledge peripherally located thereon and adaptedto cooperate with the tangs on said contact members for tensioning saidcontact members.

2. In an electromagnetic switching device, movable and stationarycontact springs, a movable armature for effecting engagement betweensaid 120 contact springs, a stationary yoke piece, a rotatable cammingelement for tensioning said movable spring, said element being mountedon said movable armature and a separate rotatable camming element fortensioning said stationary spring, said second element being mounted onsaid stationary yoke piece.

3. In an electromagnetic switching device, movable and stationarycontact springs, a movable armature for efiecting engagement betweensaid contact springs, a stationary yoke piece, a member rigidlyassociated with said yoke piece and extending at right angles to thebody thereof, a rotatable camming element mounted on said member andadapted, upon rotation, to exert a 135 camming action on said stationarycontact spring to tension it, a member rigidly associated with saidmovable armature and extending at right angles thereto, and a rotatablecamming element mounted on said second member and adapted, uponrotation, to exert a camming action on said movable contact spring totension it, said members being in substantial alignment.

HAROLD N. WAGAR.

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